HIGH-SCHOOL

South Dakota pole vaulter Chris Nilsen defends national title

Staff Reports

University of South Dakota junior Chris Nilsen, center, jokes with teammates during the Howard Wood Dakota Relays Friday in Sioux Falls. Multiple weather delays pushed much of the meet into the evening hours, and Nilsen's eventual win in the men's pole vault would come hours later, and was one of the final events of the night.

South Dakota pole vaulter Chris Nilsen has done it again.

The reigning national champion defended his crown Wednesday at the NCAA Division I Championships in Austin, Texas, clearing a career-best 19 feet, 6.25 inches to fend off a loaded field.

Nilsen, a junior from Kansas City, Mo., is a six-time All-American who broke his own meet record in seizing the trophy.

To defend his title he had to outduel LSU freshman Mondo Duplantis, who posted the best mark in NCAA history earlier this season by clearing 19-8.5.

On Wednesday, however, Duplantis topped out at 19-0.25 after the field was reduced to the final two.

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Nilsen entered the NCAA Championships with the second-best mark in the field (19-2.25), having cleared 19 feet four times this spring and 10 times in his career.

He cleared 19-1.5 to break a 22-year-old NCAA championships meet record last spring and was one of eight men to clear 17-7 at the West Qualifier in May.